Method of cutting and wrapping index tabs



Oct. 2, i928. 1,686,132

I T. E. HEETER METHOD OF CUTTING AND WRAPPING INDEX TABS Filed April 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 2', 1928. 1,686,132 T. E. HEETER METHOD OF CUTTING AND WRQPPING INDEX TABS Filed A rirzd, 1927 I Z'Sheets-Sheet F HLLLJ Patented Get 2, 192.

i THOMAS E. HEE'IEli OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

"' t an v as n METHOD or currrneenn ,wlaa'rrrne INDEX ,rA Bs.

Application filed April This invention relates to an improved method of cutting and wrapping lndex tabs after they have been cut, the primary obj ect of the invention being to provide a device for a cutting each tab strip into" sections and to receive the cut sections in a wrapping cover. Another object of the invention is in providing improved holding means for each tab strip for carrying the strip to the cutters and holding the cut sections of the strip after the cuttingoperation. f

A further object of the invention is in providing a punched wrapping cover for receiving the tab'sections after being out.

Other and further objects will appear in. thespecification andbe specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being 7 had in theaccompanying drawings, exemplifying the inventiom'and in which I Figure 1 1s a plan vlew of this improved cutting apparatus.

, row of tab sectidns which are engaged in 1a tabj sections has 3 row or set of punched openings.

Figure 6 is a planiview showing the wrapin cover havin one set of the tab sections D b i in a folded position whereas theother set of F'gure"? isa' view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the wrapping progressed and -m which two rows of ttIb SBCUODS are folded toward each other inthe wrapping cover."

Figure8 is an end view of Fig. 7. Figure 9 is an end view of the wrapping two sets of tab sections. V 7

Referring numerals to the accompany ing drawlngs a pair of uprlghts are eXtended from respective longitudlnal s1lls2, said up- ,covcr after it has been finally folded over rights being further held in position by trains versely dispos'ed members ,3, said uprights I being for the support of a pair of transversely disposed shafts 4' and 5 which are disposed cent the:

stbeen received in the'other setiof punched openings.

1927. Serial No. 185,336.

one above the other and rigidly securedto each of sald shafts are a. serlesj of spaced M cutters 6, each cutter-of one shaft beingcooperative with a respective cutter of-the other shaft. Mounted on the shaft 5adjacent one end 18 a gem-.7, sa'idge'ar being in meshwith 3* WE. I if a gear which is mounted on the shaft 4 and secured tothe extending end Q-ofthe shaftv 5 is a crank 10. p Secured to each of the uprights 1v adjacent the upper ends thereof is a spacer block :11 and supported from said blocks is a transverse sill 12, said sillbeing for the support of'one end of a; series of holding fingers 1 3,

said fingers "at their oppositeends being swingingly supported on a rod 14: which is borne byan operating lever said lever at ts lower end being pivotally secured at'l6 to respective sillsQj The fingers 13 1 are held apart on the rod It by thes'pa-c'er members 17 and: are also held apart/ at their opposite ends 13 is provided with a leaf spring 20, each leaf springbeing secured to a respective finger by a screw 21 each leaf sprlng havingagrl m ping end 22 Borne by each finger 13 adjagr pping end of ea'ch'sprin'g is a lug 23.

Supported by andbetween the" uprights isa rockable shaft 24'an'd extended fron saijd rod area series of retaining fingers 25', s'aid fingers at their lower ends normally res'ting on the receiving sill 26' and disposed adjacent the sill 26 on a plane lower than the upper surface of said sill is a table 27 which is supported from the sills 2 by uprights 28.

In operating this improved apparatus for cutting a tab strip into sections, a tab; strip 29' shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 is horizontally engaged beneath the. gripping ends 22 of respective leaf spring's20 andagainst the lugs 23 and isheld in its gripped position between;

the springs and the fingers13fj The lever 15 is-then pushed towards the cutters 6 and the Q fingers 13 will be carried forwardly by the lever and each finger will pass betweenrespective pairs of cutters and the tab'strip will be severed into sections by the cutters as they are passed there between and will be received in their severedcon'ditionuponfthe' sill 25ers shown at 30 in Fig. 1 and inthis position. they will be held by'the fingers 13 and. the respec tive springs 20 of said fingers; 7 Further 7n '7 by respective teeth 18 of a rack bar 19 which is' secured to thetransverse sill 12. Each finger i .2 and from experience it is preferable to hold movement of the lever is stopped by reason 7 of the lever abutting the sill 13 but during for the strip to clear; or travel beneath and the movement of the lever towards the cutters, the strip .29 after passing through the cutters will engage the retaining fingers and swing them upwardly on the shaft 24 sufliciently Y immediately upon the strip 29 passing beneath the depending ends of the fingers, said fingers will immediately swing downward by gravity and engage the sill 26 rearwardly of fingers 13 will thereby hold respective tab sec- 7 tions 30fin positions wherein the projecting portion 30? of each section will project beyond the receiving sill 26 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 int-his position of holding the tab sections, a wrapping cover 31 as shown in Fig. 3 is engaged by the operator and a straight edge 32 is also engaged rearwardly of the cover and i there against, both the'wrapping cover 31 and straight edge 32 being held in an approximate vertical position as jshown in Fig. 2 and in i r a manner so that one row of the punched, aper- V tures 33 of the wrapper is held approximately horizontal and; as the apertures 33 are spaced apart an equal distance as are the projecting portions30 of the tab sections, the wrapping cover is moved towards the projecting p'or-- tions 30" so that said portions, 30? will be projectcd in respective apertures 33. of the wrap- :pin cover.

T e wrapping cover 31' made ofrelative- 1y thin paper and obviously the straight edge 32 held there against will provide a stiffener when the wrappin cover andistraight edge are presented t'oget eras shown at A in Fig.

both the wrapping cover and straightedge in the one hand and as soon as the apertures 33 ofthe, wrapping cover have been engaged over the pro ecting portions 30", an upward movement by. the thumb of theghand is brought'to bear; against the wrapping, cover and a downward'movement by the fingersof 1 action 9 the hand is given to the straight edgeand at the same time theother hand of the operator is engaged to move the lever 15 to itsneutral position and the retaining'fingers 25 will prevent the tab sections 30 from being returned with the fingers 13, said fingers 25 wiping the tab sections. 30 from beneath the springs 20 of'the fingers 13. As the tab sections 30* were wiped from the fingers 13, the upward the thumb of the hand of the operator on the wrapping cover 31"and the simultaneous downward action of the fingers of the operator on the straight edge will tilt the tab sections 30 in the manner shown at B 2 and the wrapp cover 31 and the straight edge 32 and tab sections 30 carried by the wrapping cover are swung'downwardly and laid on-the table 27 as shown at C in V Fig. 2.

he next operation is to place the straight edge in a vertical position against the rear edge 34; of the tab sections 3O as shown at-D in Fig. 2 and force the projecting portions 30 of the tab sections further into the apertures 33 and with the straight edge still engaged againstthe-tab sections 30 the tab sections are engaged at their projecting ends and turned upwardly and folded on the line determined by the straight edge and turnedove-r on top'of'the straight edge and pressed firmly downwardly and the straight edge is thenre moved, this folded position of the inserted tab sections being shown at E in Fig. 5, the inserted positions ofthe tab sections in the aper-' folding operation being shown at F in Fig. 4.

The next operation is to insert another ,tures'33 of the wrapping cover 31 before the wards the cutter '6 and the tab strip 29 is severedin the manner as was the preceding strip and, continued movement of the lever 15 will place the severed tab sections on the receiving sill 26, further movement of the lever 15 being stopped by said lever abutting the'silll12 and in this second operation the folded portion E of the wrappingcover having the inserted tab sections is engaged and turned so that the other row of apertures 33 is positioned-horizontally so that the apertures 33 Wlll be engaged over respective prose i jecting portions 30 of the tab sections- 30 I r on the receiving sill 26 in the same manner as before, the straight edge 32 being engaged rearwardly of the wrapping cover and the upward pulling action of the thumb of the hand of the operatoron the wrapping cover and the downward action of the, fingers of the operator on the straight edge will tilt the secondset of tab'sections 30 in the manner as shown at'B inFig. 2 immediately upon the release of'said tab sections 30 from the springs 20 of respective fingers 13.. -The wrapping cover 31 and'tilt tab sections 30 carried thereby are then lowered to the posi 'tion C on the table 27, the wrapping cover and the tab sections carried thereby then be ing in; the'positions as shown Fig. 6''in i which. the-first'mserted tab sections 30? are folded as shown at E whereas the second set of inserted tab sections arenot folded as shown at G. The, straight edge is then manipulatedagainst the rear edge 35 of the a last tab sections inserted and the tab sections are then folded against and over the straight edge 32 and the projection 30 of the last inserted tab sections will/then be disposed oppositeto the projections30 of theffirst' of the the folded portion E of the Wrapping cover is folded over and against the folded portion H, the wrapping cover and the inserted tab sections then assuming the shape as dis closed in Fig. 9.

From the aforesaid operation of this improved apparatus and the method of folding the formed tab sections in which a pairor two rows of tab sections are insertabl'y secured in a wrapping cover it is quite obvious therefore that a new andiiseful apparatus and method is provided for cutting and folding the cut tab sections and securely holding the tab sections; in individual positions for the purpose of paeking'and shipping as well as storing these sections in their individual places until it is desired to use them as it is essential to keep each tab section in its individual place until used as index tabs on bookkeeping systems and the like.

When the folded portions E and H arei I folded together as shown in Fig. 5, anadhesive strip i1 is secured over the folded endsof portions E and H for retaining them I en a e a ainst the movable 'aw 43 and a fixed washer 40. Each package after being folded and secured by the adhesivestrip after being put into the clamp 36,- is held in the clamp for a period of time during the cutting and wrapping of a pair. of otherenhance packing.

tab sections, the subsequently wrapped tab 4i) i sections or package uponbeing inserted in j the'inouth 42 of the clamp 36 will force the,

package'previously pressed in the clamp 'outwardly therefrom. This holding of the package in the clamp for a short space oftime permits the adhesive material on the strip 4:1 to set as Well as firmly pressing the acka e to )resent'a new ad ea'rance an'dgto What I claim is:

of holding the sections in a projected position after cutting them into sections, of: in I serting the pro ected portions of the sections ito respective;apertures of awrapping cover, and of finally wrapping the sections in said cover. 7 V a V d 2. The method of Wrapping indextabs consisting-of holding the tabs in projected 1. The method of making indextab strips ,7 I consisting of cutting a tab strip into sections, v

60 positions, of inserting the projected portions ofthe tabs into respective apertures of a Wrapping cover, and of finally Wrapping the tabs in said cover. I j

3. The method of wrapping index tabs consisting of holding the tabs in projected positions, of inserting the projected portions of the tabs into respective apertures. of a wrapping cover, and of finally Wrapping the tabs in said cover in their inserted positions. l. The method .of wrapping ndex tabs consisting of holding the tabs in projected positions from a horizontally alining row,

of inserting the projected portions of the tabs into respective apertures of a Wrapping 7 cover, and of finally Wrapping the tabs in said cover in their inserted positions.

THOMAS n HEETER. 

